Inheritance
by x Ruby Dust x
Summary: After Lily and Rusty's reunion, they've seemed to work out a peaceful way to coexist. Danny, however, throws some drama into the mix when he hatches a plan to steal from the wealthy inhabitants of "Fantasy Island". RustyOC. Rated M for sex/language.
1. No Rules, Just Prices

A/N: Hey, all! So, I have been writing this fanfaction like mad. There several other chapters already written, and several more in the works for future posts. I want to space my posts out, though, so give me... oh, maybe about a week before the next one. Of course, I could always move that date up if there is enough interest.

Again, I find myself at the mercy of my readers. Please, read and comment. Let me know what you think. Let me know what I did well, and what I can improve on. Let me know your opinions about everything! - Lily's character development, my chosen writing style, the plot I have laid out here. Your comments/ critisms / opinions are what I'm looking for in doing this. I want to improve, and I need your help to do that!

So I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Love, as always, Nicole

Inheritance.

Chapter One

No Rules, Just Prices

Lily paused, brushing some dust off her shoulder. She had to use her whole palm to remove the blemish, applying a good amount of force to rub away the set-in powder. The dress had been sitting in the back of her closet for some time, waiting to wrap her skin in its cotton embrace when the right moment presented itself. Rusty loved the dress, and he loved it even more on her. She hadn't seen her husband in a while, however, so the dress had been exiled behind her winter clothing, but before the Christmas sweaters her aunt knitted her faithfully each year.

The plane sat idly in front of her on the tarmac, flashing lights signaling it was ready for take off. She hoisted her pack up on her shoulder, then sprung into a jog as the wind picked up around her. Her heels clicked against the blacktop, then clanged as she climbed the metal stairs to board the plane. Rusty was there, waiting for her by the door. He collected her pack first, tossing it aside so he could scoop her up in his arms as kiss her passionately.

She was only aware her father was there when he cleared his throat.

She turned to see Danny and Tess sitting across from each other, both smiling up at her. Lily hugged Tess first, bending down to extend an arm around her shoulders. She only half-hugged Danny, adding a kiss on the cheek before she took her seat next to Tess and Rusty sat next to Danny. They were placed away, forced to look at each other without being able to make physical contact. It was tactful planning on Rusty's part – no doubt the moment they got close enough, they would be all over each other.

"Is everyone coming?" Lily asked, only grazing eye contact with her husband as she

questioningly looked towards her father and his wife.

Danny smiled. "Are we intruding?"

Lily laughed, tossing her head back. "Oh, please. A week with Reuben is hardly a romantic getaway, Dad. I was only asking because I didn't expect you."

Rusty smiled at her, a smile that was meant for only Lily to notice. She blushed, shutting her eyes to prevent from giggling. She hadn't seen him in so long, and she had hoped to be alone with him on the plane. For reacquainting reasons.

Lily had grown used to being away from Rusty, and appreciated the feelings their separation made her feel when they came back together. Rusty was mostly busy running his hotel in California, Lily was in New York with her own business. After their wedding two years pervious, she had found herself itching to get back to her city. She returned, getting her own apartment for weekend visits. After a while, however, her stays became extended. Sometimes she would run jobs while she was there, dipping into Rusty's side job of offering her unique expertise to those willing to compensate her. Sometimes, she just enjoyed the hum of the city. The rhythm of New York reverberated through her, wrapping her in its atmosphere and rocking her to sleep at night. Weekends turned into a week. One week turned into two. Finally, she decided to make use of her time and knowledge. She bought a brownstone with the money left over from the Hollings job, and turned the bottom floor into an antique shop. With Tess's help as her official antique curator, her shop remained solvent. Which was more than Rusty could say about his hotel.

Rusty often disapproved of their separation, but he bit his tongue on the subject. No matter how much he wanted to be with Lily, he knew it was better to be apart. For both of them. Lily loved it in New York, and Rusty loved it in California – two completely different places. She was uncomfortable at the hotel, used to living in well-furnished, non-broken-down environments. His hotel was his baby, just like her antique shop. He understood, so he sucked it up. Besides, absence really did make the heart grow fonder. And the reunion sex wasn't bad either.

"It's Reuben's house. Who am I to say who he invited or not," Danny toyed. Tess turned to Lily and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"So that's a yes," Rusty clarified.

"I thought you weren't doing anymore jobs, Dad?"

"Who said anything about a job!"

"You did. Just when you said that everyone else was coming."

"I never said that. Rusty said that."

Lily frowned. "There's absolutely no good reason for a group of con artists to get together unless you need them to. Unless you need their expertise. Or unless you're planning on pulling a 180 and getting all of us together in one place so you can turn us all in. And I sincerely doubt the latter is the case since we all probably have more on you than…"

Danny held his hands in the air, palms out. "So now old friends can't get together for a weekend getaway?"

"Danny," Rusty interrupted, "just tell her."

"Yeah, Danny. Tell her," Tess added, cocking her head and crossing her arms.

Rusty chuckled. "Tess isn't very happy with him right now."

Lily joined in his laughter, sharing a meaningful look with him. A look that was telling her to meet him in the bathroom to join the mile high club. A look she was trying her hardest to ignore in front of her father. She blushed, tucking her eyes away to her lap. "So what is it this time, Dad? Another casino? A bank?"

Danny shook his head. "Hey, don't look at me. This is all Rusty."

Rusty added his own dramatic eye roll. "Fine, I'll tell her." He shifted in his seat, leaning forward, getting ready to share confidences. "We're not going to Reuben's for a week."

Lily lifted her eyebrows. "We're not?"

He smirked. "Well, we are. But we're only going to meet up with the rest of the guys. To discuss…._possible plans_. You ever heard of Fantasy Island?" Rusty heard what he said, realized it wasn't a very good question, and continued on before Lily could get some wise crack off about his sexual fantasies. "Of course you haven't, because it technically doesn't exist."

"Technically, being the key word," Danny added, Tess shooting him angered side-glances.

"But Reuben got this call the other day from a casino owner friend of his back east. An invitation."

"To…Fantasy Island?" Lily asked, her face scrunching together in skepticism. "Sounds like a scam to me. What the hell is Fantasy Island?"

Rusty smirked. "You know Fantasy Football or Fantasy Baseball and stuff like that? Well, it's kind of like that except more extreme. More… rich, if you will. Men and women with lots of disposable income go to this unheard of island, and throw around their money for whatever they want. And I mean _whatever_ they want. There are no rules, just prices."

Lily paused, taking it all in and allowing it to slosh around in her thoughts for a while. "So how is that like Fantasy Football?"

Danny laughed. "Well, it is and it isn't. See, you participate in a draft when you first arrive to pick your concierge personnel while on the island. A team, if you will, that helps you spend your money. The more you spend, the more points you receive. The more points you have, the more bragging rights you get as the richest of the rich."

"Spending money is the sport," Rusty nodded.

"This sounds ridiculous," Lily responded, shaking her head in disbelief. Curls bounced around her face, and Rusty had to fight the urge to reach across and tuck them behind her ears. He clenched his hands into tight fists on his armrests, waiting.

"Completely absurd, right?" Tess agreed, uncrossing her arms and leaning forward in her seat. "It sounds like one giant joke, and a horrible, horrible idea."

Lily pointed at Tess, signaling that she agreed. Pursing her lips, she looked at Rusty and her father, sitting side by side staring at her with big, puppy dog eyes pleading with her. "Is this for real? Everything's on the up and up?"

Rusty shrugged. "Reuben got invited."

"Yeah, via phone call. Sketchy, much? And a lot of people know Reuben has a lot of money," Lily argued. "What if it is just a giant con? Another con conning the cons."

Danny leaned back, relaxing himself and hoping she would follow suit. "Well, then we go and do some reconnaissance until we're sure."

Lily copied her father's position, bringing her hand up to her face and perching her chin on her fingers. "Reuben was the one invited, Dad. How do you propose we go ourselves?"

Rusty snapped his fingers. "That, sweet heart, is phase one of my plan."

"So we already have a plan? You're already convinced?" Lily stopped, looked at Tess and rolled her eyes.

"They have a plan to _investigate_," Tess added, adding air quotes with her fingers.

"I'm not a fucking detective, Rusty. I'm a cat burglar. Although, I can see how you could get those two mixed up. They sound a lot alike." Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Tess's mouth give into a stretch of a smile. "And I thought the bank job last time was going to be your last job altogether, Dad? You were so dramatic about it."

"Well…" Danny traced circles on his armrest with his pointer finger. "Isadora's boarding school is proving to cost a little more than expected*…"

"AND those investments he made went sour."

Both Lily and Rusty looked at Danny. "Investments?" they asked in unison.

Danny shook his head. "It was just the one, Tess. And now is not the best time to have _that_ particular conversation again."

"Dad… You okay? Financially? Is that why you're planning on this wild goose chase?"

Danny sighed, rolled his head back on his neck. "I'm fine, Lil. _We're_ fine. It's not a big deal. Tess is just mad, that's all."

Tess opened her mouth to speak, but Danny shot her a glance that told her he didn't want to talk about it in front of his daughter. As annoyed as she was by the whole thing, she relinquished it for the time being.

* I've taken a creative liberty here, making Isadora's age older than logical mathematical prefaces would have the reader's believe. In my first Ocean's Fanfiction, I placed Isadora (the child of Tess and Danny, Lily's half-sister, that I created) as a toddler. Here, I decided it would work best if she were about pre-teen age. I opted for the inconsistency instead of having to go back and possibly change a majority of the preceding story.

"Well, then…. Oh, God. How's your hotel doing, Rusty?" Lily asked, now more concerned than before. "Are you…."

"No! It's fine, sweet heart. Well, it's not fine, but… it's the hotel. You know how it is. Just barely solvent, but otherwise okay in the end."

"Then why the hell with the mythical island?"

"Because," Rusty smiled, "it's fun."

"Fun? So you're basically going to make enemies of the wealthiest people in the world for fun? The whole deal with Terry Benedict wasn't enough for you? And that was just one guy." Lily's eyebrows bunched together on top of her nose. She looked to Tess for backup, but Tess has resigned herself to staring out the small circular window as the plane zoomed through the clouds. It was apparent that the only ones who seemed to be thinking clearly were the women on this plane, only one of them was willing to stand up any further for that sense of sanity. She looked back to Rusty, whose smile was present in his eyes. A boyish smile, a smile of someone who was guilty, but charming enough with to get away with anything.

Fun. What were they thinking?

"Are you serious about this, Rusty. I mean really. Fantasy Island?"

He nodded. "Just wait until you hear the plan I put together. I have safety nets installed, I promise."

"And what if this Fantasy Island is just an island with a top security prison on it, and the idea of all this money is just to lure in con artists and criminals like ourselves chasing a fantasy?"

"Well, then it's a good thing you look sexy in orange."

She couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head and making her curls bounce. Rusty couldn't hold himself back anymore. Her crossed the space between them, bent down in front of her, and took her hands in his. "Lily, I promise this is really something. If it makes you feel better, we can talk about it some more."

"No offense, babe, but the more we talk about it, it makes me even more skeptical by the second."

"Do you trust me?"

Lily looked at Danny, who was staring at Tess. Tess, who was still staring out the window, avoiding her husband's gaze. Even though both of them were so close, neither of them seemed to have any hint of what was going on in the next seat. Lily looked back to her own husband, on his knees in front of her with hope in his voice. "Of course."

"Then trust me on this one. If we pull off this job, I can pull together my hotel in California and still have more than enough to build and run one in New York."

"New York?" Her green eyes sparkled, making him smile even wider. Maybe their separation wouldn't have to be a life-long commitment after all. Maybe they could be together in the same place, coexisting with their separate projects to keep them from their previous fate. Maybe, just maybe, Fantasy Island could make her fantasies of the two of them come true. "Okay, Rusty," she finally said, leaning forward. Her lips touched his and parted with a smack. A very satisfying smack. "Let's go chase your fantasies. What, pray tell, does this plan of yours involve."

"Mostly just your specialty, sweet heart."

"Oh, but I have so many. Which one would you be thinking of?"

"Role playing."


	2. Trust and Love

Chapter Two

Trust and Love Are the Same Thing Sometimes.

Reuben would never change in Lily's memory, always seeing him through child's eyes – her Uncle Reuben. When he was seated at the small round table next to the pool, his smoking jacket only slightly open to reveal gold chains and chest hair, and those giant glasses of his that magnified his eyes six times their normal size, Lily's memory was confirmed. He stood, towering over her and stretching out his arms in the grandfather like fashion he had done so many other times.

"Lily, darling! I see you're still married to that shmuck of a husband."

Lily walked into his embrace and gave him a one-armed hug back, the other clutching her duffel. "I figure he has to be good for something, Reuben. I'm just keeping him around until I figure out what that is."

Rusty rolled his eyes as he gathered her duffel from her and threw it over his shoulder. He set his rolling suitcase down as Reuben parted from Lily and stuck his hand out. Rusty and Reuben shook hands, Reuben tilting his head up slightly so he was looking under the rims of his dark lenses. "Treating her better than you treat that hotel of yours, Robert?"

Rusty shook his head, laughing it off. Danny followed up behind him, Tess under his arm. Reuben followed suit, shaking Danny's hand and giving Tess a kiss on the cheek.

"I can't believe you're letting them do this, Reuben. You know it sounds ridiculous," Lily chided.

"Cut right through the pleasantries, don't you, darling?" Even though she was still annoyed at the thought, Lily couldn't help but smile. Reuben had called her "darling" from the moment he had met her. No matter the situation – whether he was praising her, reprimanding her, or telling her a "life lesson", moral-filled story – she was always his darling. It was just one of those old, familiar things that made her feel warm inside. Although they weren't blood related, Reuben considered Lily to really be like the granddaughter he never had. Even though they didn't have a common bloodline, they were related through that one little word.

Darling.

"Lily, darling, you worry too much! Oh, you're like you mother in that way…"

Lily went rigid, hearing the mention of her mother and her similarity to her. She tried her best to ignore it. "Reuben, you don't worry enough."

"Look, this is all on the up and up. I promise. It's legit."

Lily stopped, noticing Rusty had moved away from her and into the house. Danny and Tess were following behind him, rolling their own bags along behind them. She popped out her hip, resting her hand on it. "I'm just… I'm not sure. Who exactly told you about this place?"

"Oh, a friend of a friend." Reuben waved his hand in through the air.

"Well, yeah, I can see why you'd think that was legit."

"What can I say? He's a reliable friend!"

Lily shook her head, her curls bouncing around her face. She looked up as Reuben put his hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, darling, it's all gonna be worth it."

She looked past him, over his shoulder towards the house. Rusty had reappeared and was leaning against the open frame of some glass doors leading out the other side of the courtyard, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. Reuben followed her gaze. "So this whole marriage thing… you like it?"

She shrugged. "We're still trying to make it work for both of us. Rusty's a planner, but it's kinda hard to plan for something like the rest of your life."

Reuben pulled a cigar out from the pocket of his smoking jacket, perching it in his mouth and lighting it with one practiced motion. "Planning is easy, darling. It's following through that's the hard part."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes locking with Rusty's. He was staring her down, calling her over to him. Enticing her. "Kind of like this Fantasy Island stuff."

"Oh, Lily. You need to have more faith."

"What I need," Lily started, moving around him towards Rusty, "is some more comforting evidence and more time to think about this."

"Some more time to think?" he smirked, watching as Lily backed away towards her husband. "Is that what you kids are calling it these day?"

She should have been grossed out that Reuben knew her intentions, but the look in Rusty's eyes was enough to make her pick up her step as she walked across the courtyard to where he was standing. She saw the room they were put up in as she neared, the red and gold décor resembling the Las Vegas casinos Reuben loved so much. Rusty backed into the room the closer she got.

Reuben had went back into the house, or so Lily assessed as she glanced over her shoulder one she slipped past the large, red curtain. Arms wrapped around her waist as the curtain fell closed over the sliding glass door, Rusty pulling her into his body as his lips moved to her neck. "Did I mention just how much I missed you," he whispered against her skin.

Lily giggled as his hot breathe brushed against her skin, giving her Goosebumps where he stroked her and an aching where he didn't. She twisted in his arms, planting her mouth firmly on top of his. She took in all of him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him lift her slightly. To her, Rusty would always smell like the ocean breeze. The scent of sun and sand would always be implanted in every hair on his head, in every line on his face, and crevice of his body. His taste filled her, minty, powerful kisses that permeated through her.

Her feet touched the floor again as Rusty's hands were running through her hair, over her shoulders and down the length of her body. Her foot popped in one of those old time movie kind of ways, his hands hooking together after they ran over her bottom and he hoisted her back up himself. Lily cupped his face with her hand, feeling his muscles tightening around her body as he moved deeper into the room. He placed her at the foot of the round bed, helping her undo the buttons of his shirt.

With her palm firmly planted on his chest, she moved and he matched her. When the bed was behind him, she pushed him back on to the bedspread and stepped back, stripping away her clothing so she was standing before him in nothing more than her lacy blue bra and panties she had worn for specifically this occasion.

Rusty smiled, eyes widened. He reached for her hand, pulling her onto his lap as their lips met again. Lily felt the heat of his erection pressing against her center, and she arched against him as her hands groped for his belt buckle. He placed his hands on top of hers, steadying her eager fingers. She was exploding with anticipation, her breathing coming in short breaths the longer it took for him to remove his pants. Rusty, though, was a planner. He was calm, just following a blue print. A blue print he had mapped through years of experience. He knew just where to touch her, just where to kiss to get her juices flowing.

"Rusty," she whispered his name, wanted to convey something of what she was feeling for him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she had missed him, how much she secretly hated the arrangement they had worked out in hopes of keeping them both happy. The truth was that she was miserable without him. Yes, her life in New York was the one she wanted, but she wanted him there with her. Without his kisses or the way he stroked her hair, without _him_, New York just seemed so empty.

She pulled back from him as his tongue caressed the lobe of her ear, something that would have finished her before. He stared into her eyes, concerned. She ran a hand down the side of his face, her soft fingertips making his skin tingle. There just seemed to be no words.

"I'm with you," she finally told him, resting her forehead against his. "This whole Fantasy Island thing. I trust you." The way she said those latter three words made him moan. The blueprint had changed in that moment. Trust and love were synonymous, and she saw both in him.

Rusty pulled her down onto the bedspread, laying most of his body weight on top of her as he positioned himself between her legs. She grabbed at his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as ran his hands all over her. He was aware of just how hot and wet she was, realizing that the only things standing between their love and trust was her thin pair of panties. He did away with them, the fabric nearly melting off of her body as he melted inside her. She moaned, her head falling back as her hands reached up towards the headrest. Rusty caught her lips just before she was about to get louder, stifling her pleasure with his mouth so no one she cared about would hear. This was their moment, and he was not about to share it with anyone other than her.

His hips pumped, rolled and swayed in sync with hers, her whole body writhing underneath him as he found her spot. She gasped for air, trying her best not to scream his name. Their minds were synced on the idea of keeping the moment as intimate as possible.

His hands clasped around her wrists as he moved harder, faster. Her hands balled into fists at the headboard. She planted her toes firmly in the fabric underneath her, using her legs to lift her pelvis up towards his.

His hands tightened around her wrists as he tried to hold back his release to make the moment last longer, feeling like his heart was going to explode in his chest. Lily let out a high pitched gasp as her legs gave way to her climax and she lowered back down to the bed. He grunted his own release moments later, still inside her.

He stayed there, on top of her as they both panted to catch their breath. He stared into her eyes for a while, then rolled off and pulled her into his side where she fit perfectly. Her fingertips ran along his chest, and he could see the red marks around her hands where he had gripped too tight.


	3. Telling Her

Chapter Three

Telling Her

Rusty kissed his wife on the forehead, then pushed himself out of the bed to answer the door. Lily had fallen asleep under his arm, so he wrapped her up in blankets before he got up, then threw on his pants on his way to the door. They had somehow gotten tossed all the way across the room, into the little living area – also decked out in red and gold – where a few couches and a television were set up. Rusty smiled, shaking his head. Reuben's guest room was nicer than a hotel room.

He turned the handle with one hand, the other brushing through his already mussed hair.

Danny was standing on the other end, just like Rusty had suspected. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his chin resting on his chest as he looked at Rusty through his brows. It was evident there was a smirk on his face. "You two coming to the meeting or what?"

"What time is it?" Rusty yawned, craning his neck around for a clock.

"It's seven in the morning."

Amazed so much time had past during their lovemaking, Rusty tried to hide it best he could. "Fuck that jetlag, man. Lily's still asleep. Want me to wake her?"

Danny shook his head, waving it off. "It can wait. I have a feeling the less irritable she is, the less likely we're in for a fight today."

"She agreed to go through with this," Rusty informed, stepped into the room falling back into one of the couches and letting himself sink into the cushions. As relaxed as sex always made him feel the next day, right afterwards was always filled with tight muscles and built up, unrelieved tension.

Danny walked in, rubbernecking his way into the room to judge if he presence was acceptable or not. "Oh, she did, did she?"

"Danny, Lily's not stupid, okay? She has her doubts, but I did too when Reuben first approached me. She was just protecting all her bases… all _our_ bases."

"Yeah, well all my bases are unprotected at the moment."

"You should really tell her about it, Danny. She's your daughter."

"Exactly. My first-born, very, very emotional daughter likes to hit and throw things."

"She's going to find out eventually."

Danny tilted his head back, sighing towards the ceiling. "Hopefully, I'll be somewhere safe with no sharp instruments when that happens."

"You're going to have to tell her, Danny. Just get it over with."

"Are you going to hold her back?"

Rusty rolled his head on his neck. "If we're all meeting downstairs, it's going to come out. You want her to get mad at you here, in private with just me, you, and her? Or do you want her to go ape shit in front of everyone?"

Danny paused, bringing a finger to his chin like he was in serious thought. "Are you going to hold her back?"

"Come on, Danny."

"More people, more witnesses…"

"The more people, the more she might hate you."

Rusty heard the slightest hint of a movement coming from the bedroom, and he motioned for Danny to wait a second while he went to check it out. Seconds later, he came back with Lily in tow, wearing her usual sleepwear of a tank top and a pair of Rusty's boxers. "Tell her, Daniel," Rusty said when he reentered the room.

"Tell me what?" Lily followed up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"To get your ass moving. The rest of the guys are waiting in the kitchen."

Rusty shot Danny a look, shaking his head in disapproval. Lily watched, confused. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm walking in on something with you two."

Danny looked his daughter up and down, then shifted his gaze to Rusty. "Same, here, pumpkin. Same here."

Danny watched as Rusty led Lily into the kitchen by her hand, pulling out a chair for her at the end of the large, oak table and standing protectively behind her. Rusty was shooting daggers with his gaze, pausing only to lean down and whisper something into his wife's ear, and then starting with his disapproving looks again. Tess was closer to him, seated to his left, giving him the same looks.

He stood, pacing in front of all of them making it look like he was thinking about where to start. Saul was next to Tess, a friendly hand on her shoulder. Frank was next to him, with Virgil and Turk next to him. Lining the table across from Tess was Basher, Yen, Livingston, Frank, and Linus. Reuben was somewhere in the kitchen behind him, preparing a morning cocktail to go along with his Cuban.

"Welcome back, gentlemen," Danny started, smiling and clasping his hands together. "And ladies," he added, addressing Lily and Tess. "As Rusty's probably informed you already, we have a little project we're working on. You should have also been informed what this little project is about. Reuben?"

Reuben inhaled on his cigar, let it ruminate in his mouth before exhaling. "What? I already told ya, we're going to Fantasy Island to make some big cash off some whales who I don't particularly know and/or like."

Lily inched forward in her chair. "You don't particularly know these people? Then how'd you get an invite?"

Danny's chin fell to his chest, his eyes and his shoulders falling downward. He hadn't wanted that question to come out so soon. Reuben's gaze darted to Danny. "You didn't tell her."

Lily bit on her lower lip, a growl forming deep in her throat. As her hands formed into fists on the table, she threw herself backwards in the chair. Rusty's hands were instantly on her shoulders, both supporting her and holding her back. "Tell me what?" she asked. "All fucking day yesterday and this morning I hear you and Rusty whispering about telling me. So tell me!"

"Lil," Danny paused. He had told Rusty that he had wanted to tell her in front of everyone, but he had really hoped it wasn't going to come up. Now that it had, he wanted to go back to Rusty had suggested before. Tell her alone. To save himself the embarrassment, to save her large amounts of hatred. Well, the latter was something he was hopeful for again. He knew she was going to hate him for a while, but… well, he once thought it might have been worth it. Now, watching her staring at him with the intensity of a raging bull, he wasn't so sure.

He just couldn't bear the heartache he knew he was about to inflict.

He looked to Reuben, who he knew she wouldn't get mad at. Maybe he could soften the blow. Reuben locked eyes with him, and Danny jerked his head towards Lily.

"Darling," Reuben started, his voice low and clearly upset, "it was your mother who called me."

Danny flinched then. He half expected Lily to leap across the table and attack him like a wild jaguar. Then again, he also half expected her to pull a chainsaw from underneath the table and chop him up into little pieces and feed him to the goldfish in Reuben's garden pond, so maybe his view of his daughter was a little skewed by the emotions connected to both of them by the word "mother".

"My mother?" Danny flinched again, but was surprised seconds later when he realized her words were calm. Somber, even.

"She called me and invited me. She is a guest there, herself," Reuben explained.

"So she was this friend of a friend of yours." Reuben nodded. "A so your friend would be my father. But that's funny to me, because my father hadn't said anything about being friends with my mother. That would imply talking to her and…." She almost laughed as she trailed off. "She's the _reliable_ source?"

Reuben shrugged. "Reliable as any one of us could be, darling."

At that, she did laugh. Shaking her head and smiling, Lily pushed herself out from the table and stood. Rusty's hands slid from her shoulders down her arms until they fell back to his sides, unsure of what to do. Lily pushed her palms into the air, palms out. "Excuse me," she muttered, turning and heading out of the kitchen.

Rusty puffed out his cheeks and blew out all the air he was holding there, letting his head fall back on his shoulders. Instinctively, he turned to follow her, but noticed that no one else was. He turned his head to survey the rest of the room, seeing the stares of confusion on all the others except for Danny and Reuben. He locked eyes with Danny, pointing to him. "You're coming with me."

Danny looked around the rest of the room. "I don't wan…"

"Danny."

"But what about the meeting?"

"Danny!" he demanded again. "See, I foresaw this little incident. That's why I called ahead and explained everything, down to every last detail, to Linus." He turned to Linus, who sat up a little straighter when he heard his name. "You want a bigger part in things, kid? Run the meeting."

Linus smiled, then fought it – unsure of what was appropriate in the situation. He opened his mouth to ask Rusty a question, but Rusty was already ushering Danny out of the kitchen in a hurry.

The rest of them turned back to Reuben, who puffed away on his cigar. "What? So she has mommy issues. Who doesn't?"


	4. Mistaking Love as Trust

A/N: Hey, everyone! So what's going on? No reviews? That makes me sadddd :( I want to know what you guys and gals think! I want you to share your opinions! I want to hear from you! So, please, don't make me beg for reviews, okay?

Love you all and hope you enjoy another chapter!

Chapter Four

Love Mistaken as Trust

Rusty poked his head into the room, looking around to make sure nothing was going to come flying at him when he entered. Cautiously, he entered the room inch by inch, Danny following behind him. He could hear Lily in the bedroom, thumping around doing whatever it was she was doing. Again, he poked his head in first.

She was packing, violently throwing her clothes into her pack – not bothering to fold them. Not even bothering to look at them, really.

Well, Rusty thought to himself, at least the closest things to her couldn't cause him much harm if thrown.

He turned to Danny, who was frowning so deeply, the lines were forming canyons on his face. "Get in there," he choked out a whisper, gesturing towards where Lily was standing. "Now."

Danny shook his head. "Are you crazy?"

"I told you…"

"Save it," Lily interrupted, standing in front of them. "Both of you. I'm going back to New York. You two assholes do whatever the hell you want, but I refuse to be apart of this."

"Sweetheart…" Rusty started holding out a hand to her.

She ebbed away from him. "You're as bad as he is," she yelled, throwing the tank t-shirt in her hand at his face. "You _knew_, and you didn't tell me!"

"It wasn't something for me to tell, Lily!"

She paused, her eyes widening and her nostrils flaring with rage. "So instead you get me to blindly agree to trust you into doing something you _knew_ I wouldn't ever want to do! Great husband you are."

Rusty's face dropped, and Lily knew she hurt him more than if she had thrown something breakable at him. In her fury, though, she didn't really care. Rusty brought a hand up to his face and rubbed his chin, turning and walking into the sitting room to get away from the situation for a second. It was Danny's turn.

"Lily, she's not _that_ bad…"

Lily balled her hands into tight fists at her sides, her flesh turning white as the pressure cut off blood flow. All the blood missing from her hands was rushing to her face. "Not that bad? Katherine Montenegro is a fucking sociopath!"

"Can't you just hear me…"

"No, Dad, I can't hear you out. I can't even stand talking to you right now. God, what the hell were you thinking when you decided to talk to her?"

"Lily…"

"Stop! Just stop! I'm not dealing with this right now, and nothing you could say could make me even want to hear you out. Please, Dad, if you ever even loved me once, then turn around and walk away like Rusty did. Just walk away from me, leave me alone."

Danny stared after his daughter, seeing the disappointment and betrayal in her eyes. She was furious on the outside, he could clearly see. Her face was so veiny and red, it looked she might combust. Her arms and shoulders had only stiffened the entire time he was with her. Her posture was ramrod straight. Still, though, in her eyes he could see what was really fueling her anger. In her eyes, she had that same disbelief and desperation he had seen in her as he held onto her hand as a small girl, watching her mother walk away from them.

He shook his head, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and turned to exit the room.

Lily felt the anger that was taking over her subside as her father left, tears starting to well in her eyes and emotion choking her. She cleared her throat, ridding herself of the emotions and blinking away the tears. She had lost too many tears before over her mother. More would just be a waste for herself, a waste of emotion for something that shouldn't have mattered anymore.

Rusty reappeared in the doorway, his arms hanging by his sides. "Is it safe, yet?"

Lily let herself fall onto the edge of the bed, where she slid down the side and crumpled to the floor. Even that short little burst of fury made her exhausted, her legs buckling out from underneath her. Rusty walked over and sat next to her, holding his hand out to her. She stared at his open palm in front of her for a while. Finally, she laced her fingers with his, their joined hands falling to rest on the floor between them.

"So you do trust me."

"No, I love you. And, obviously, love can be mistaken for trust sometimes."

"So… you don't trust me, then?"

"Not after this. Not really, no."

Like Danny, Rusty would've preferred the yelling. This sort of somber, melancholy voice she had was plucking at his heartstrings. "In my defense, I told him to tell you…oh, like a hundred times."

She paused, collecting her thoughts. "_He _should've told me the second he started talking to her, yes. But _you_ should've told me the moment you knew he wouldn't," she sighed. "God, even down there he wouldn't tell me."

"He couldn't."

Lily picked her knees up and brought them to her chest. She untangled her fingers from Rusty's, wrapping her arms around her thighs and linking her hands in front of her calves. "I really am going back home, Rusty. That woman…she…."

"We never really talked about your mom before."

Lily buried her face in her knees. She had spent so much time trying to forget about her mother, her brain physically started to hurt when asked to willingly recollect. Several moments passed, Lily's attempt to wait out the pain pulsating through her mind. Moments of silence. She could hear Rusty breathing to was so quiet, and the sounds of his inhalation and exhalations started triggering more pain. "Fine," she finally spoke, her voice muffled by her hidden face, "I'll tell you what I know and you tell me what you know."

She could almost hear Rusty nodding his head. "I can agree to that. What do you want to know?"

"Everything. From the start."

Rusty shook his head. "Well, I don't know everything, but I can tell you what I do know. It's not much, really." He shifted, positioning himself so he could still lean against the side of the bed but face her at the same time. She turned her head to look back at him, her cheek resting on her forearm. "_She_ called _him_, I do know that. Before she called Rueben and invited him."

"How was she invited?"

"Some boyfriend of hers looking to impress her or something. I'm not one hundred percent on that one. But apparently her and Danny been in contact every now and then, trading tips and things. Not so much, really. Every few years, if I understood Danny correctly. He was kind of cryptic about the whole thing."

"Pfft. I believe that. If Katherine was ever good at something other than being a lousy mother, it was getting Danny Ocean tongue-tied."

"Well, all he really told me was that she called. And then she called Reuben and invited him, seeing as how he's really the only one of us that really fits the profile of the people on this island."

"So that's it? Two phone calls and here we are?"

He shook his head. "I'm sure that's not all, but it's all I got. You'd have to talk to Danny for the rest."

Lily almost smiled, almost felt a laugh gurgle up from her throat. She moved to stand up then, using the bed as an anchor as she hoisted herself back up on her feet. "Yeah, that's not going to happen anytime soon."

"Why? Why does your mother…"

"She was never really my mother," Lily snapped.

"Okay. So why does Katherine Montenegro get you so upset?"

Lily crossed the room to the vanity, planting her fists on the dresser and hung her head. "Because it's in her DNA to get under my skin."

Rusty, still firmly seated on the floor with no intention of moving, waited for her to continue. "Lily," he verbally provoked after several long, silent minutes, "come on. I told you, and you're supposed to…"

"I'm working myself up to it," she mumbled. "Katherine Montenegro was a poison the moment she met my father. She was conning him. Him, of all people. And Danny Ocean, insane as he is, was turned on by it. Hence, me."

Rusty moved then, standing and crossing over to her. He put his hands on her hips, drawing her upright and into his body. "Which I'm grateful for," he spoke into her hair.

She allowed him to manipulate her, felt lighter like he was the only thing holding her up. "Yeah, well, she only stayed until I was two, then she decided she couldn't settle down and handle family life. Her and Dad were never married, so she felt it was okay to just leave. Then, a year later, she showed up again. Stayed for six months that time, then left for six more months. When she came back that time, I was five and I started to realize what was going on. I was being abandoned by my mother. She gave me one more year after that, and that was the last time I saw her. It was the first time I actually saw her leave." She paused, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against Rusty's shoulder. "There was this school bus that would go by our house every morning for the kids in my neighborhood, and I was obsessed with it because it was yellow and that was my favorite color once upon a time. So when the taxi appeared in the driveway one morning, I was ecstatic. That is, until I saw my mother get in and drive away for the last time."

Rusty wanted to say something to her, wanted to tell her that he knew how she felt or something to console her in some way. But he had nothing.

"The worst part was, that I didn't realize until I was later, was that she never looked back. Not even a glance out the window. Nothing."

"So that's why you hate her so much?"

Lily did laugh this time, the noise erupting from her mouth and actually surprising herself. "No. Honestly, we were better off without her, and she didn't belong there. I hate her because she kept calling Dad. Calling for money, jobs. Even conning him for it, sometimes. And Dad… well, he would just give it to her. Just like that. And as much as she called, she never once asked about me. Never cared that Dad might need that money to buy me food or clothes or stuff for school. He just gave it to her, and then moved onto his next job to try make up for the deficit."

"Maybe giving us this job is her way of trying to make up for that."

Lily wrenched around in his grip, forcing his hands off her. "No, this is still all about her. She obviously can't so something so big on her own, and she knows that Danny Ocean is just the guy to give her what she wants. Always has in the past."

"So that's it, then?"

"I'm going home, Rusty. I'm not going to be part of this, and I advise you don't either. If Dad wants to sink his ship next to hers, then let him," she scoffed. "Hell, she's probably going to promise him and unbelievable payout an then steal it all away from underneath him anyway."

"If that is true, then why let it happen again? It's not just Danny here, Lily. It's Reuben and Linus, and all the guys out there. It's Tess, too. You going to let Katherine ruin them, too?"

Lily averted his gaze, looking out the window towards the pool. She hadn't thought of that, hadn't realized that it was more than just her father at stake here. Before it was just Danny, and he managed to get back on his feet fine after Hurricane Katherine ran through his life. But now? Now it was all her friends, her partners in crime. Now it was Tess and Isadora, her family. Now, there was so much more at stake than just her emotions.

"I don't know if I can, Rusty. I don't know if I'm strong enough to deal with her."

Rusty ran a hand down her face, cupping her cheek in his palm. "You don't have to be strong all by yourself. I'm here. You may not trust me right now, but you can."

"I really just want to go back home right now and forget all this."

"And I really want you to stay. If anything, to see past Katherine." Lily rolled her eyes at him. "Look, I'm not going to give you anymore reasons to stay. If you really want to go, then go. But the plan that I have set in place – the plan that I came up with by myself, without any of Katherine's influence and excluding her presence all together – has a really big part for you in it and it really, really won't work without you."

"Thought you weren't going to give me anymore reasons."

"That's not a reason to stay, sweetheart. That's a fact. I can rework a plan, but it would be a lot more successful and a lot more solid with you there. Fact."

She didn't move. Or couldn't, frozen with conflicting emotions. Rusty wasn't sure of which.

"This about it, Lil. Just promise me that. Give it a day, or two... or even three… There's some time until this job starts. But not a lot, so don't think too much."

Lily stared at the closed door in front of her, wondering what exactly was in store for her on the other side. The hallway was empty, the ornate white and gold trimmed walls bounced the sounds of her footsteps back at her as Lily started to pace. She needed to talk to Tess – desperately needed to talk to Tess – but she couldn't risk the chance of running into her father. Not yet. Not without throwing things, or forcing up crazy, homicidal thoughts.

She stopped, leaning against the wall across from the door. Lily pulled out her cell phone from the pocket of her jeans and speed dialed Tess's number. Tess answered after only one ring. "I've been waiting for your call. What took you so long?" she answered, her tone skipping all pleasantries just like her words.

"This may sound silly, but I'm standing outside your door. I just can't… is Dad there?"

The door opened suddenly, Tess standing on the other side with her cell still pressed to her ear. They both snapped their phones closed and pocketed them in sync.

"Danny's not here," Tess started, entering the hallway and closing the door behind her, "but he is coming back. So what do you say we go for a walk?"

The flowers in the Reuben's garden were in full bloom. Lilies and daffodils were the first in what seemed like a field. Whites and yellows perfectly blended into the orange and pinks of the fuller-belled lilies behind those. The pinks then mixed into purple orchids, peppered with violets and baby's breath sprayed underneath. After those, the garden erupted into a jungle of exotic plants Lily had never seen before. There were a few cacti lining the perimeter (honoring Nevada's landscape, of course) but the majority of the garden's walls were made up of rose bushes of all different sorts of colors – spreading over every inch of its supporting wrought iron fences and towering archways.

Tess led the way to a spot near the center of the garden, where a canopy was set up over a few small, round tables next to a marble fountain in the shape of a baby spitting water into the basin below. Tess took a seat closest to the fountain, and Lily sat across form her.

"So let's just dive in here," Tess proposed, folding her in front of her and leaning over the table like they were about to divulge secrets. "I'm pissed off, you're pissed off… both towards your father."

"God, of all the dumbass things to do!" Lily nearly yelled, but managed to contain her composure. "Why didn't you tell me? Call me? I could've…"

"Because I had not idea! I mean, not that Katherine was behind all this insanity. Believe me, if I knew your father was talking to that woman, much less giving her money, I would have."

Lily snapped her head back. "He gave her money? For what this time?"

"Oh, Lily, you don't think Katherine would give up the Fantasy Island information without some insurance, do you?"

"So that's the investment you were talking about one the plane?"

Tess nodded, her mouth forming a thin line across her face. "I firmly stand by my previous statement of investment_S_. He wired her several payments, even though he claims it was only one."

"For what, exactly? Did he tell you?"

Tess tossed her head back, shaking her amber hair from her face. "He said it was a down payment."

"Which means what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Lily swore an oath under her breath. Usually, she did mind cursing – and often cursed like a sailor – but it she felt guilty doing it in front of Tess for some reason and tried to keep it clean most of the time out of respect. "So what about Isadora's boarding school?"

"Expensive, yes, but manageable. I made sure of that first and foremost. Ever since Isadora tested gifted, public school doesn't seem like an option anymore. And she absolutely loves where she's at. I would never let someone like Katherine Montenegro jeopardize that."

Lily smiled. Not out of sarcasm, and not in a mocking way. Genuinely smiled. She loved that Tess was so strong, so protective of her daughter. She loved the way Tess loved her family, and she loved the way Tess loved her like family. Looking across the table at the woman, Lily couldn't help but feel powered by her strength. She felt more stable around Tess, more whole. When Lily found herself falling apart because of the actions of her father, Tess was the one she wanted to talk to. Sure, Rusty could hold her up physically, but Tess was the one to keep her together mentally. Like a mother.

Lily often found herself wondering what it would be like if Tess really was her mother.

But she was stuck with Katherine.

"So you confronted Dad about the money?"

"You bet your ass I did! I asked him why he would give such a psychopath so much money for seemingly no reason. He couldn't answer me."

"He never could. All through my teenage years, I asked him that same question. By the time I was twenty, I figured out I probably wasn't going to get one."

"You think he still loves her?"

Lily's mouth fell open. "Are you serious?" But by the look on Tess's face, Lily could tell she was serious. Dead serious. Her eyes had shrunken in, lenses glistening with would-be tears. The corners of her mouth had fallen into a frown, her cheeks hollowed. "He never loved her, Tess."

"Then why would he keep giving into her?"

"Because… because he was _– is_ – obsessed with her. She conned him. Him! Danny Ocean! And then she was the one that got away. Again. And again. And again… He's just fascinated by her, that's all. But it's definitely not love."

"I knew she was going to be a huge problem when he first told me about her. Then, after that, she had the nerve to call our home and ask me to put him on the phone. That was when I knew I hated her."

Lily had lost her smile, lost her calm. Tess had malice in her voice, and hearing it made Lily's blood start to boil again. "Are you going with them, Tess? To Fantasy Island?"

Tess sighed, her eyes reverting to her lap. Her hands were still folded on the table in front of her, and Lily decided Tess looked like she was in a confessional, about to tell all of her wrong doings. "I have to. Hoax or not, Katherine or not, I need to protect my family. I may resent the decisions your father makes when it comes to her, but he's my husband and if he can't stand up for himself… well, I have to . For his sake, for Isadora's sake. Hell, for my own sake."

Lily nodded, her own mind made up due to Tess's determination. "If you're going, I'm going."

"Oh, Lily, honey…"

Lily held her palm up, stopping her. She paused for a second, relishing in the term of endearment Tess used for her. Honey. Yes, Tess was definitely a mother figure to her. "No, you're right. I need to help protect my family. You, Dad, Rusty, Reuben, the rest of the guys. Non of you have ever went directly head to head with Katherine Montenegro before. The woman's slimy, and you'll need me there."

"Have _you_ ever went head to head with Katherine before?"

"Once," Lily replied. "But that's neither here nor there. Even if I hadn't, I know Katherine. I've studied her through the years. I know how she works."

"Sounds like you have a specific battle plan in mind," Tess mused, planting her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand in intrigue.

"Being the daughter of Daniel Ocean and the wife of Robert Ryan has taught me a few things in the years. Yes, I do have something in mind, but we're going to need help. Luckily, I know just the right person."


	5. The First Warning

Chapter Five

The First Warning

Katherine had spent the entire day basking in the sunlight by the pool. The beach was on the other side of the bungalow, the crystal clear waters and perfectly blue island sky was a sight to die for. Katherine couldn't be bothered by all that sand, though. "It's just one step above dirt," she told Richard when he asked her if she wanted to join her on shore. "You want to go lay in the dirt, that's fine. But not me."

She had agreed to join him on his boat later in the evening, though, even though she absolutely despised boats. According to Richard, some of his most expensive purchases were housed on his vessel, _Rich Dollars_, and she needed to see what those items would be worth to her. or to the people she would sell them to.

Earlier in the day, when the sun hadn't been so high, the breeze off the ocean had been enough to keep her comfortable as she lounged. Now, though, sweat was starting to bead on her upper lip. The very idea was enough to make her uncomfortable.

Katherine swept her legs out, wrapping her towel around her waist as she stood up. At forty-five, Katherine still had what Richard's generation called a "rocking" body. Her stomach was flat, and her breasts were defying both the laws of aging and gravity. She smiled, catching her reflection in the pool's still water. She was tan, her skin a light chestnut color that seemed to mask the age on her face. A little Botox in her forehead was all she ever really needed, and that was only once. She had no wrinkles, to ungodly crows feet. Her hair was the same shade of deep redish-brown it had been since she was a teenager – no signs of grey in sight.

She was built like a goddess, and it was certainly enough to keep twenty-something-or-other men like Richard Dawson interested in her.

Katherine tucked the towel securely around her waist, her right hand absently running up her stomach towards her belly button. You couldn't ever guess she had had a child. Then again, Katherine had given birth at such a young age that she hardly ever took that into consideration when concerning the possible future deterioration of her "rocking body".

"Taylor!" Katherine yelled, twisting her curly red locks up into a bun on the back of her head and pinning it in place. She waited, watching the young, mousy blonde running out from behind the tiki bar on the patio over the rim on her D&G sunglasses. When Richard had to pick his hired help for his stay, Katherine had wanted Taylor as her attendant from the moment she spotted her. The girl was cute – not too bad to look at – but was no competition for a woman like Katherine.

Taylor skipped over with a bottle of Evian. "Your water, ma'am," she offered, twisting off the cap and handing it to her. Katherine accepted it, holding the slightly damp bottle with only her thumb and pointer finger.

"Stop calling me ma'am. You're making me feel old," Katherine replied, sipping gingerly so not to smudge her lipstick.

"Yes, Ms. Montenegro," Taylor obeyed. "Oh, and you received a phone call, Ms. Montenegro."

Katherine started towards the bungalow, holding her water out for Taylor to carry it. "Who was it?"

"I'm not sure, Ms. Montenegro," Taylor answered honestly, reserved about Katherine's response as she took the bottle. "It was on your personal cell phone, and I didn't find it appropriate to answer."

Expecting that it was Richard, Katherine made her way past the tiki bar, through the sliding glass doors, and found her phone on the island counter of the kitchen. Taylor was right, she had missed a call. But not from Richard.

Katherine hit the redial button and pressed the phone to her ear, eager. She listened as the numbers dialed, then as the phone rang twice. Someone answered on the other end, but remained silent.

Katherine waved Taylor out of the room, concentrating on the silence on the other end. Once Taylor was out of sight, Katherine leaned back against the counter and slyly smiled into the receiver of the cell. "Danny, it's good to…"

"It's not Danny," a female voice interrupted.

Katherine found her smile waning. "Oh no?" she replied, trying to be coy instead of conveying the confusion and slight disappointment in her voice. "Then who might this be?"

"Lily."

"Lily? I'm not sure I know a Lily."

There was silence again on the other end, and Katherine rook the time to look around the kitchen to make sure no one was listening.

"Well, you wouldn't. But I know you."

Katherine's interest was piqued, but also for more reasons than one. She and Danny had been very discreet in their conversations in the past, but that didn't mean that the information they passed back and forth was entirely secure. "How do you know me? And how did you get Danny's phone?"

"I stole it from him," Lily answered, ignoring Katherine's first question because she saw no relevance in answering it directly. "Although I'm not sure if it's really stealing since I'm his daughter."

Katherine's brows raised over the rims of her sunglasses in amusement. "Of course! Lily, honey, is your father there? Can I speak to him?"

Lily cringed on the other end, she hard she was almost sure Katherine could hear it. "Not exactly. I'm just calling to let you know that we're going ahead with the job, and we're moving the trip up. Expect us in two days."

Katherine removed her sunglasses, pushing them up to the top of her head. "That's excellent news, Lily."

"Again, not exactly. This is your first warning, Katherine. Don't fuck with me."

The tone of the call being disconnected sounded in her ear, and Katherine closed her phone. "Taylor!" she summoned. Taylor came running again. "Taylor, call ahead to your boss and reserve the rest of the bungalows on this strip of beach. I have some friends that are going to be joining me in a few days, and I want to keep them close by."

"But, Ms. Montenegro, the rest of the bungalows on his strip are already in use."

Katherine lost her smile all together, a furrow would have formed between her brows if the muscles were able to. "So then kick them out. I'm willing to pay whatever it is for those bungalows, Taylor. Money is no object. Isn't the motto of this little operation?"

Taylor complied, bowing out of the room to make the phone call.


	6. Something's Up

Chapter Six

Something's Up

Rusty had lied to Lily, and he was feeling a little guilty about it. Using New York as his way of getting her to accept Fantasy Island was a sore tactic, one which he shouldn't have used to urge her to do what he wanted. Not with his wife. He told her he'd have enough money to move there to be with her after the job. Truth was, he was planning the move anyway. He'd have enough money to move there if he sold the hotel, which had seriously been thinking about doing for a long time now.

California. If just wasn't his home anymore. At one point, yes. When he was alone. When he was with Isabel. But Lily… she was his home now, and he was starting to feel homesick.

Rusty cringed at the cheesy thought. He was never that guy before. Now, though, he felt… whole. Well, almost whole. Like he was ninety-nine percent done with a jigsaw puzzle and only had one piece left to fit together, and that last piece was New York.

His thoughts stayed with her as he entered into the lobby of his hotel to go about doing his business. He missed his wife and wished she was there with him, so why wasn't she? Why had she suggested they go their separate ways from Reuben's before the job? Why had she wanted to get back to New York so badly only days after their reunion? He thought he had calmed her down. So why had she rushed out, claiming she needed time and distance to think about the job?

He made his way towards the front doors, ignoring the greetings he was receiving from his morning staff as he exited. Outside, it was another sunny and cloudless day in California. From the front porch of the hotel, he could see the beach – gulls flying overhead as scantily clad sunbathers glistened with tanning oil from the blankets on the sand and children played in the rolling waves of the surf. Through his Ray Bans, Rusty glanced over to his side – his left side – where his wife should have been, holding his hand and taking in the sights. Even though Lily loved the atmosphere of the beach – the sights, the sounds, and the smells – it didn't phase him too much anymore. He had lived in New York once for a short time – back when he first was introduced to Danny – and he had decided that he had wanted something more. Just more. But now that he had it, he just wasn't too sure. He felt a pang in his heart, a longing for the east coast. The Atlantic. Home. Her.

Without her, he felt like his "something more" was just an empty thought. He had worked so hard to build up his hotel and his life, but without her, he was feeling empty handed.

As he reached his car, his cell phone started vibrating in his pocket. "Speak of the devil," he answered after checking the caller ID, smiling. "I was just thinking about you."

"Bad things, I hope," Lily laughed on the other end.

Her laugh seemed to permeate through him, filling his soul and fueling his smile even wider. His heart panged again, this time for her. He hadn't realized until that moment that he had been frowning the entire time, frowning so deeply that his mouth was hurting.

"Baby, are you alright?" Lily asked.

Rusty clicked his jaw, moving the thoughts from his head. "Yeah, sorry, just a particularly sexy image of you popped into my head is all."

Her laugh was back, and sighed. He felt lighter somehow at the moment, like all he needed was someone to ask him if he was okay.

"So how's Cali?"

He answered with the first word that popped into his head. "Lonely." In that moment, he wanted her to tell him that it would be alright, ask him what was on his mind and why he was feeling that way. He wanted her to ask all the questions that he couldn't necessarily answer. Hearing her laugh had filled him for a second, but that moment was gone and all that was left of it was the memory. He missed her more and more the more he heard her voice.

And he found those thoughts to be pathetic.

"How's the city?"

"Oh," Lily paused. "You know, the usual. Spending my day running the shop, my nights thinking about all the horrible things my father puts me through, and missing you all the time. Although, this time there seems to be more thinking than usual."

"Uh huh… Serious thinking, I hope," he replied, but something felt off. Her vocal pause had triggered something for him, something he didn't trust. Something that made him feel not so guilty about lying to her, and even more pathetic for missing her so much. "I'd really like to come to New York, Lil. As soon as possible. I miss you."

"Oh, I know Rusty. I miss you, too. I love you, but let's not rush this. Okay? It's best not to when Katherine is involved."

Rusty took a moment, trying to decide whether or not he could hear something in her voice. Something that could tell him what was going on.

"I know you said you needed time to think things through on your own, but I thought I'd come visit just for a few days. I mean, I just felt like our time at Reuben's wasn't enough."

He could have sworn he heard her gasp, but he doubted himself. He also started to doubt her, suspicion taking away from the missing. "No, Rusty, I don't think that's a good idea. I really do need to deicide this for myself and I don't want you influencing me. It's not about the job, or my dad, or my position, or anything like that. It's about me, and I need to do what's best for me."

Rusty realized then that he hadn't been hearing any noise in the background. No city noises. No cars, no sirens. Nothing. "Lily, where are you?"

"My place. Why?"

"No reason, just wondering I guess. Imagining myself there with you." At least his pathetic self was going to some use, he thought.

"Aw, that's sweet, babe. But listen, I have to go. Something's come up and I have to take care of it."

"Yeah, same here. Something's come up."

"I'm not sure when we can talk next. You know, with my serious thinking and all. But we'll see each other soon?"

Rusty hesitated, concerned over what she doing. Or not doing. "A week today is the job on the island. Are you hinting at something?"

"No, I, uh…" she fumbled, "I have to go. I love you."

He heard her hang up before he could respond. He pocketed his cellphone and sighed. "I love you, too, Lil. But something's up. Definitely."

Tess had walked into the room behind Lily, listened and watched her as she talked to Rusty on her cell phone. The girl was hurting, she thought to herself. Badly. Lily was conflicted between protecting herself mentally or protecting her family physically, and those two clashing notions were pulling her apart. Rusty, with his headstrong determination and confidence in himself, was not helping. Tess was sure that if Rusty had just agreed not to go, him and Lily would be back in New York right now while Danny and Tess were on the island. Even though it was causing Lily so much trouble, Tess was sort of glad that Danny and Rusty were so alike. If she had to go head to head with Katherine, at least she had an ally like Lily by her side.

Lily turned, seeing Tess standing in the doorway. "How long have you been there?"

"Just got here," Tess fibbed. "So that was Rusty?"

"I give him two days before he gets here," Lily sighed, shaking her head. "He's going to be so mad."

"Here? On the island?"

Lily gestured to the kitchen of the cabana her mother had put both of them up in for the time being. "I mean like right here, in front of me. Yelling, probably."

Just from hearing Lily's side of the conversation, Tess believed it. Their early arrival on the island was definitely putting a few kinks in the plan, but Tess and Lily had both deemed that a necessary evil.

"You think he knows?"

"No, I think he knows something's up," Lily answered, her eyes falling to the floor. "I shouldn't have called him. And now he's going to call Reuben to figure out what's going on with me, and when Reuben doesn't tell him – because I've sworn him to secrecy – he's going to call Dad even though I'm not talking to him."

Tess frowned. "Danny thinks I'm with you in New York."

"And I'm pretty sure Rusty knows I'm not in New York," Lily nodded, finishing Tess's thought. "I shouldn't have called. I just needed to hear his voice, reaffirm why I'm here with… _her_."

Tess crossed the kitchen, kissed the side of Lily's head while she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "Maybe it's better that you did."

"How? Now we need to bump everything up. We have dinner with Katherine tonight, which means we won't have that much time to scout her out afterwards if Rusty and Dad jump on the first plane here."

"So we'll do both. Dinner with Katherine, and then I'll hold her attention while you snoop around for a bit."

Lily shook her head. "No offense, Tess, but I don't think the woman would be interested in you. She'd more likely be more willing to talk to me."

"But you're better at recon than I am, and I think I could hold my temper a little more even when it comes to Katherine."

Tess had her there. Lily did have more experience in reconnaissance and 'snooping' due to all her years of thievery, and the wounds Katherine left on her psyche were still too fresh from continuously being ripped open time and time again.

"Okay, so you find a way to distract her then. But – and here's the important part – we're going to have to stay in character. We may be having dinner in the privacy of Katherine's cabana, but there's still some risks of getting made. Her new boy toy or her help, for example, need to see us like they're going to see us in a few days. The personas Rusty set in place for us need to be in tact for when the rest of the guys show up."

"So who am I again?"

Lily rolled her eyes, a little frustrated. Maybe this whole thing was too much for Tess to handle. Maybe she should have come alone.

Lily quickly knocked those thoughts from her head. Tess was married to Daniel Ocean for crying out loud. She had been part of plans before… not a big part, and those plans hadn't gone very well, but still. She had some experience, and that was all Lily could ask for. Plus, without Tess, Lily would probably go insane if she had to deal with Katherine on her own.

"Okay, we'll go over it again. You're name is Margaret David. You're married to Dad, whose playing textile importer Edward David. You're also Evelyn's mother, that's me, whose the heiress to Edward's fortune and engaged to Ross Blackwell, a successful professional poker player played by Rusty. This trip is our engagement present, and the rest of the guys are set up as new hires here and are going to be our 'employees' for the remainder of our stay on the island."

"And why are two genteel women such as ourselves out without their men?"

"Who says we're without our men? No one knows that we're here already. Similarly, no one knows that the boys aren't here. Not even Katherine."

Tess smiled. "Katherine doesn't know Danny's not here? I think I've found my distraction."

Lily smirked, finding the deviance in Tess's tone highly amusing. "I'll make a thief out of you yet, Tess."

Tess broke into laughter. "I don't like to brag, but I'm already a bit of a master thief."


End file.
